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Crime

Police make weapons link in probe of deadly attack on PDRC

The Nation May 27, 2014 1:00 am

The spent cartridges fired from automatic weapons in a deadly attack on anti-government protesters in Trat in February were from the same weapon found in a cache of arms seized in a raid last week by police and military officers in Samut Sakhon, police said.

In short, an M3 submachine gun - and 45mm munitions - found in the Samut Sakhon raid is the weapon used in the attack on members of the People's Democratic Reform Committee in Trat," deputy police chief General Aek Angsananont told a press conference yesterday.

Aek said police were investigating connections between a female suspect, Janthana Warakornsakulkij, who had admitted to owning the weapons, and other people allegedly involved.

He said police were also investigating the authenticity of member cards issued by the pro-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship that were found in Janthana's apartment.

A group of gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons on the PDRC supporters on the night of February 2, killing three people including two young children and wounding a large number of people.

Aek said the military had nothing do with the attack.

Meanwhile, a paramilitary ranger was shot and killed during a raid on a home in Trat's Khao Saming district where three men suspected of taking part in the attack in February resided.

The gunmen grabbed the dead ranger's M16 and fled while the raid team arrested the two others, placing them in custody for questioning.

Aek said police were looking further into an attack using M79 and automatic weapons on PDRC supporters occupying Rajdamnoen Avenue in Bangkok this month, but had no further leads.